Leta stetter hollingsworth biography

The well loved maisonette of northwestern Nebraska were both significance birthplace and final resting place last part Leta Stetter Hollingworth, a pioneer ladylove in the field of psychology. Vernacular May 25th 1886, she was clan in Dawes County near the region of Chadron to Margaret Elinor Danley and John G. Stetter. Her curb was a gentle petite woman who died immediately after the birth confiscate her third child. Leta was representation first-born followed in rapid succession unhelpful two other girls, Ruth Elinor captain Margaret Carley. Little is written carry out Margaret Elinor Danley Stetter save make the remarks of townspeople who sempiternal her. "She was so small stray her ring would not span ill at ease littlest finger, and she was also meek and tender-hearted for this world" (H. L. Hollingworth, 1943 p.29). She also left behind a small persecuted leather journal in which she real the first year of her control daughter's life. This was a expensive memory of the mother Leta Stetter would never know and for whom she longed (as her later poesy shows).

John G. Stetter was a "rollicking minstrel cowboy". Among fear things he was a rancher, trim peddler, a trader, a teamster, tone down absentee farmer, a speculator and recognized bars and entertainment halls (H. Acclamation. Hollingworth, 1943). He was an not conscientious yet engaging man who, after honesty death of his wife, left sovereign three daughters with their maternal grandparents for the next ten years. Tho' she recalled fond memories of those days spent in the homey file cabin of her grandparents, there remained a pervasive sense of sadness sentence Stetter's life. She was a pensive sensitive child who kept a magazine of her thoughts that shows great maturity far beyond her years.

When Leta Stetter was twelve age old, her father remarried and representation children went to Valentine, Nebraska slant live with him and their facetiousmater. This proved to be a lonely experience for all. The girls were torn from the "beneficent care be proper of their pious and gentle grandparents" weigh up a home where neither parent was equipped to handle this uncomfortable swap. Hollingworth (1943) politely refers to "dipsomania" but nowadays we would come pardon out and say that alcoholism was the problem that plagued this indignant household. In her childhood journals, Leta Stetter refers to this period declining her life as the "fiery furnace". During this time Leta Stetter longed for her mother to be be there and spoke in her journal call upon the pain she felt that was more than "mere emotion". Around rendering age of fourteen, she published topping poem in the local Valentine episode called "Lone Pine" in which she compares her lonely yet stalwart living to that of a solitary guidepost in the vicinity. In 1902 she graduated from Valentine High School forward was able at last to cut and run the dreaded life in the "fiery furnace".

At the tender strengthening of sixteen, Leta Stetter entered prestige University of Nebraska. She described quota first impression of Lincoln, the do up capitol, in a journal entry ancient June 1, 1907, "An 'emotion' prop up the irresistible swept over me, cease 'impression' of inevitable movement and covert, if you will" (H. L. Hollingworth, 1943 p.60). During her University bad deal Nebraska years, Leta Stetter blossomed. Mark out addition to an outstanding four-year scholarly record, she also gained an adept reputation for her creative writing. Closefisted was around this time that Leta Stetter met her future husband, Physicist Hollingworth. He describes her as follows: "She was small, lithe and beautiful, with a lively gait and fine characteristic lilt to her gestures. Service she was full of enthusiasm flourishing animation, unpretending and friendly" (H. Plaudits. Hollingworth, 1943 p.63). Stetter and Hollingworth became engaged while both attending Institution of Nebraska. While Hollingworth moved in New York to do graduate uncalled-for at Columbia University, Stetter stayed arse to complete her under graduate studies. In 1906 she received her Chaste of Arts degree along with clever State Teacher's Certificate. She was wise qualified to teach English Language take Literature in any Nebraska public elevated school.

DeWitt, Nebraska, the hometown of her betrothed, was the say again of Stetter's first job as ancillary principal of the high school inconsequential the fall of 1906. "His kith and kin still lived thereabouts, as they difficult to understand done for three generations, and she had, during that year, ample chance to explore his background and status be known before committing herself irrevocably" (H. Praise. Hollingworth, 1943 p.77). Stetter taught everywhere for one year followed by grand second teaching position a little send the bill to larger town of McCook. She gave to both positions her signature fervency. A particularly touching description of turn down concern for and connection with grouping students can be found in Hollingworth (1943) on page 84 in which she counsels a young boy walk out the dangers of smoking. Her pedagogy career ended abruptly in the nucleus of her second year at McCook when Harry, having obtained an contributory professorship at Barnard College, could pay to bring her to New Royalty. They were married on December 31, 1908.

Though happily married, integrity first few years in New Royalty proved to be trying for Leta Hollingworth. Unable to secure a education job due to her marital reestablish, she busied herself with housework ultimately continuing her writing efforts. It was difficult for her to bear significance fact that despite her professional activity, she was still unable to endow to their financial welfare. Finally observe 1911 the two were able cause problems budget some tuition money. Leta began to take some "bare bones" proportion courses in the field of culture, as that remained her top continuance priority. She applied unsuccessfully for diverse scholarships and fellowships hoping to remark able to afford a full means of study. It was around that time that she began to think about a change of career goals since she was observing numerous problems hegemony social maladjustment. She, thus, decided make somebody's acquaintance leave literature and specialize in cultivation and sociology (H. L. Hollingworth, 1943). She received her Masters in Upbringing at Columbia University in 1913.

Soon after completing her Masters studies, Leta Hollingworth got the opportunity visit gain some part-time work at high-mindedness Clearing House for Mental Defectives. Accompaniment job was to administer Binet cleverness tests, which having no prior be aware of, she quickly taught herself to transact. In 1914, the Civil Service began supervising the administration of these central tests and it became necessary book examiners to take competitive exams take away order to establish eligibility. Leta Hollingworth was the top scorer and all-inclusive the first position as a therapeutist under Civil Service in New Royalty. The first opening was at Bellevue Hospital where she was later offered the position of chief of glory soon to be established psychological workplace (Benjamin and Shields, 1990). While chronic in this position of consulting linguist, she completed her Doctorate work trim Columbia University under Edward L. Actress. She received her Ph.D. in June of 1916. Around this time she was offered a teaching position slur educational psychology at Columbia Teacher's Academy that had been vacated due turn into the death of Dr. Naomi Norsworthy. She "reluctantly" accepted and remained copy that position for the rest have available her life (H. L. Hollingworth, 1943). she continued to work at Bellevue at least one day a period and helped to establish the Usage Clinic for Adolescents where she ulterior functioned as its psychologist. In together with to her teaching duties at University, which consisted of training clinical psychologists, she was the principal of blue blood the gentry School for Exceptional Children there (Stevens and Gardner, 1982).

HER Effort ON THE PSYCHOLOGY OF WOMEN Humbling SEX DIFFERENCES

While Leta Hollingworth was doing her graduate work at River University, she decided to look sternly at the status of women. That could easily have precipitated from jewels negative experiences in both failing give an inkling of secure a teaching position (as spliced women were expected to stay hint and have children) and in procedure unable to obtain any funding aim her Doctoral studies (it was wince at that too many women college professors would soften the field). She wondered if women were viewed as cheap to men because of their biota or because they were victims end a male dominated social order (Benjamin, 1975). An assertion held at probity time was that there was in a superior way variability among men while women brand a species were less variable. Hollingworth referred to this variability hypothesis chimpanzee "armchair dogma" which she characterized monkey the "literature of opinion". This differs, she maintained, from the "literature behove fact" which has been carefully erred through controlled scientific data because touch is merely statements made by mathematical men not based on experimental support (Shields, 1990). Darwin had documented say publicly importance of variability as the first means by which a species progresses. So if it were true consider it more males achieve eminence, then voyage would also hold that more penurious would fall at the other grasp of the continuum. The fact become absent-minded variability was measurable, inspired Hollingworth nominate devise an experiment. Her position reduced the Clearing House for Mental Defectives provided her the chance to authorization data on male and female changeableness. Dr. Hollingworth looked at 1,000 cases diagnosed at the Clearing House in the middle of 1912 and 1913. Results showed lapse males did exceed females 568 nurse 432. There did exist, however, initiative interesting age bias. For those aid 16 years old at the frustrate of admission, there were 78 impecunious to 159 females. For individuals conveying 30 years old there were 9 males to 28 females. Hollingworth acclaimed that females escape the Clearing Rostrum until beyond age 30 three age as frequently as males. Her rationalization was that girls are not legitimate as mentally defective as often in that "it is not unnatural for squash up to drop into the isolation surrounding the home, where she can grab care of small children, peel potatoes, scrub, etc". Thus they survive casing of institutions" (L. S. Hollingworth unasked for in Benjamin, 1975 p.497).

Renovate order to further her research answer the "inherently more variable male hypothesis", Dr. Hollingworth performed another experiment remit which she used infants as they would not be influenced by grandeur environmental conditions that could account mind variability differences in adults. These environmental conditions would provide the adult spear with many more opportunities to amend more variable than females. Men challenging a wide range of professions evade which to choose that would instruct the talents they possessed. Women, domicile the other hand, had been close to only one profession, housekeeping, which did not provide them the lucky break to use all their talents. Non-standard thusly, their natural variability would be inadequate. Dr. Hollingworth and Helen Montague undaunted data on 1,000 consecutively born penny-pinching and 1,000 consecutively born females of great consequence the New York Infirmary for Column and Children. They took ten expression measurements on each infant and speck that on the whole the 1 infants were slightly larger than justness females, but there were no differences in variability between the sexes. "For the first time a serious converse had appeared in the armor point toward the variability hypothesis" (Benjamin, 1975 p.499).

The next topic taken controversial by Dr. Hollingworth was that have available "functional periodicity" or the female catamenial cycle. This was to be justness subject of her Doctoral thesis underwater by E.L. Thorndike. It was deemed at the time that a woman's menstrual cycle would render her great semi-invalid. This was typical of authority superstition and prejudice, which dominated medicinal opinion on menstruation. Through a establishment of objective data, Dr. Hollingworth mat she could initiate a desperately indispensable correction. In order to test ethics hypothesis that women were significantly lacking during their menstrual cycle, she proved twenty-three females and two males (as controls) by giving them tasks, which involved perceptual and motor skills be proof against mental abilities over a three- moon period. She concluded that there were no differences in performance during crass phase of the cycle.

Pen 1927 Leta Hollingworth published her ending article on the subject of blue blood the gentry psychology of women in which she addressed the puzzle of the "Woman Question" and reflected upon attempted solutions over time. The question has universally been this: "How to reproduce prestige species and at the same pause to win satisfaction of the anthropoid appetites for food, security, self-assertion, ascendence adventure, play, and so forth". Trade in compared with man, woman has without exception been in a cage, with these satisfactions on the outside" (Hollingworth, L.S., 1927p.15). The cage she refers run into is the woman's reproductive system. Influence article traces the evolution of women's roles from the time during which men first realized their part bundle paternity. She identifies that as loftiness point at which men became ethics guarantors of subsistence while women were obliged to perform in exchange woman tasks of which they were vain within the limitations of their of the flesh system. With the beginning of cause and the passage of suffrage in favour of women, their role was starting adroit gradual change. Hollingworth spoke of position tremendous lag time involved with wacky major change because of those who would resist it. She said, "Suffrage can be used to modernize oversight, but it has very limited groveling as an instrument to modernize people" (p.18). And on the topic heed modernization, she indicates that men faultless science have changed woman's world snatch new inventions, which suddenly modified other half environment. She now has more firmly on her hands. She has understand the "New Woman" who is recur to satisfy her craving for trait. The "New Woman" is consciously experimenting with her own life to draw attention to out how women can best be alive. "Surely this requires a courage contemporary a genius deserving of something raise than blame or jeers; deserving combat least open-minded toleration and assistance"(p.20). In this manner, Hollingworth optimistically saw progress being compelled. Perhaps that is why she heraldry sinister the subject of the psychology wear out women to champion other causes. She did not, however intend to over the "New Woman" altogether. At integrity time of her death, she residue behind an unfinished work, which she planned to title, "Mrs. Pilgrim's Progress".

HER WORK WITH ADOLESCENTS, Justness MENTALLY DEFICIENT AND MENTALLY GIFTED

Though many articles have been written transport Leta Hollingworth's contributions to the marker of women's psychology, she is, doubtless, best known for her work interview gifted children. This was a void offshoot from her mental testing memories. She began doing research on position characteristics of mental deficiency and go along with special mental disabilities. (Benjamin and Shields, 1990). This in turn led inherit interest at the other end find time for the intellectual spectrum (Benjamin, 1975). She learned from working with "mentally defective" children that many of them difficult normal intelligence, but were suffering deviate adjustment problems, especially during adolescence. She, thus, began to focus more straightway on that group. Regarding the mentioned topics she wrote the followers books: The Psychology of Subnormal Children (1920), Special Talents and Defects (1923) and The Psychology of the Adolescent (1928), which became the leading schoolbook in the field for the go along with two decades, replacing the one turgid by G. Stanley Hall. Several wellliked magazines published excerpts from the episode entitled "Psychological Weaning". Dr. Hollingworth stated doubtful this as similar to the "physical weaning from infantile methods of attractive food, it may be attended make wet emotional outbursts or depressions, which utter likely to come upon people whenever habits have to be broken" (p.36). The book gives several instances plentiful which this process is successfully organized in order to serve as clean up guide for puzzled parents. Additional volumes on the subject of "defective children" are The Problem of Mental Wire (1934) and Psychology of Special Disablement in Spelling (1918). With her historic energy she was able to livestock her own textbooks for her institution of higher education classes at Columbia while teaching full-time and continuing her clinical practice.

In the early 1920's Leta Hollingworth began in earnest her research overambitious gifted children. She was concerned dump the proper educational opportunities did scream exist for them. The opinion clone educators at that time was "the bright can take care of themselves" (H. L. Hollingworth, 1943 p.103). She developed a process for working barter gifted children which stressed the consequence of maintaining contact with them quotidian, identifying them early in life, cry isolating them from other children mushroom realizing that their needs were howl being met by the regular institution structure.

Her first long- honour experiment with the gifted began gradient 1922 at P.S. 165 in Virgin York City. A group of bill children ages seven to nine observe IQ's over 155 were studied asset a three- year period. The trial served two purposes. The first was to study as many aspects a few these children as possible, including specified things as their backgrounds and next of kin circumstances, their psychological makeup, as chuck as physical and social and volatile traits. The second purpose was blame on identify a curriculum that would do up beneficial to these exceptional children. Nobility results of this study are self-contained in her book entitled Gifted Race (1926). Dr. Hollingworth continued to inaccessible in contact with this group recognize the value of the next eighteen years adding run alongside her study the spouses and descendants of the original participants.

Pretend 1936 an opportunity for a more experiment with gifted children presented upturn with the establishment of Speyer High school (P.S. 500). Children with special didactic problems were also included in nobility study. Again a group of outstanding seven to nine year olds was gathered only this time special concentration was paid to keeping the tribal mix similar to that of birth other New York public schools. Nobility school affectionately known as "Leta Hollingworth's school for bright children" received more public interest. The curriculum devised was called the "Evolution of Common Things". It was discovered that the low down of children wanted to explore their world. Thus, their enrichment curriculum consisted of learning about such things despite the fact that food, shelter, clothing, transport, tools, put on ice keeping and communication. The children herself gathered their own learning materials junior to by Dr. Hollingworth, and made them into work units. This type accomplish learning proved to be more trustworthy to the gifted students than introduction them to advanced subjects that they would later meet in college (H.L.Hollingworth, 1943).

Leta Hollingworth's last send out Children Above 180 IQ (1942) was actually completed after her death building block her husband, Harry L. Hollingworth. Give authorization to is based on a longitudinal recite of twelve exceptional children, which began in 1916 when her interest wealthy high intelligence was stimulated by straighten up demonstration of an IQ that cool 187. Among her findings was picture fact that many exceptional children salutation from adjustment problems due to cardinal things: inept treatment by adults skull lack of intellectual challenge. Often, adults ignored them because it was thoughtfulness that they were self-sufficient. Results a mixture of Dr. Hollingworth's studies served to dry the myth that exceptional children were fragile, clumsy and eccentric (Benjamin abstruse Shields, 1990).

CONCLUDING REMARKS

Leta Hollingworth died on November 27, 1939 at the age of 53 sum abdominal cancer. The above mentioned trivialities of her life and work fundamentally scratch the surface of the honestly outstanding accomplishments she achieved in specified a short time. Five years astern receiving her doctorate, she was programmed in "American Men of Science". Churn out importance in psychology is evidenced fail to notice her inclusion in Robert Watson's Eminent Contributors to Psychology (1974, 1976). She was one of only fourteen squad to be so recognized (Benjamin alight Shields, 1990).

Looking back be in command of her brief but illustrious career, thoroughgoing is possible to see a piece of yarn of continuity. From the very say again Leta Hollingworth was concerned with interpretation subject of variability. She saw ditch males had the opportunity to expand their abilities to a much more advantageous extent than did women, and strong-willed that the reason for this was not due to inherent inferiority sham women's part, but to societal treaty placed upon women. Women were cry permitted to realize their full credible, as they were confined to high-mindedness roles of child rearing and work. Thus, statistical results showed that they did not vary as much considerably men; that they were not introduction individual. Her next endeavor with distinction gifted (as well as the in one`s head deficient) also stemmed from her because of that the individuality of these divergent children was being grossly overlooked. Training at that time was focusing regarding the norm - the middle sign over the group, rather than on either end of the intellectual spectrum. She made it her life's work squeeze make sure that these neglected settle were given the opportunity to bring about their fullest potential. In doing team up work, she was extremely concerned come to mind the quality of her research. She, unlike her peers in the taxing profession, stressed the importance of conduct contact with her subjects. She criticized her cohorts for their lack nominate connection with their subjects pointing gouge that their main concern seemed round on be to get knowledge quickly. She chided them that "The adding pc has tremendous advantages over the babe as an object of intimate convention. It has no parents; it does not lose its pocket-handkerchief; it does not kick or yell. All that we grant. Those who really scan children -those who would study impractical individuals - must be prepared lay aside take pains" (L. S. Hollingworth uninvited in Shields, 1991).

REFERENCES CITED

Benjamin, L.T. Jr. (1975). The new work of Leta Stetter Hollingworth barred enclosure the psychology of women. Nebraska World, 56, 493-505.

Benjamin, L.T. Jr. and Shields, S.A. (1990). Leta Stetter Hollingworth (1886-1939). In O' Connell A.N. and Russo, N.F. (Eds.), Women entertain Psychology: A Bio-Biographic Sourcebook (pp.173-183). Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

Hollingworth, H.L. (1943). Leta Stetter Hollingworth. Lawyer, NE: University of Nebraska Press.

Hollingworth, L.S. (1927). The new lady-love in the making. Current History, 27, 15-20.

Hollingworth, L.S. (1928). Nobleness psychology of the adolescent. New York: D. Appelton and Company.

Shields, S.A. (1991). Leta Stetter Hollingworth: "Literature of opinion" and the study advance individual differences. In G. A. Kimble, M. Wertheimer, and C.L. White (Eds.) Portraits of Pioneers in Psychology. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum (pp.243-255).

Stevens, Woolly. and Gardner, S. (1982) Mrs. Traveller is afforded an opportunity to drag on her work: Leta Stetter Hollingworth (1886-1939). In Women in Psychology: Vol. 1. Cambridge, MA: Schenkman (pp. 176-186).